My Fastest Lake Wa Loop To Date

Yesterday I set out to do a classic route for Seattle roadies - the 80k/50mi Lake Washington Loop. This was the first "big" route I started doing years ago, and once you start doing it enough you (at least I) begin to record just how fast or slow you did it, of course!

When I set out, I wanted to see just how high I could keep my average speed, which usually when doing the "hilly" version of the route (skipping the BG trail in favor of the climb through Lake Forest Park) is in the 22-25 km/h range (13.6mph -15.5mph).

Starting on Capitol Hill, I took off up the hill towards 15th Ave, climbing at 20-25 km/h, pushing it from the get-go. By the time I got to Renton (16km/10mi away) my average was 30.5 km/h. And this was with a 7-10 mph headwind out of the south! I was pretty happy with this, although a 32 km/h (20 mph) avg would've been extra-nice.

The rolling hills through Newcastle, Bellevue, and Kirkland didn't really affect the average (even the Market Street climb) as I kept up the pace on hills to at least 20 km/h (12.4 mph), if not more.

Then there was Juanita Road, with its associated two-mile climb! A light drizzle was already falling, and towards the top it turned into light snow/hail! I got over the hump with a ride-low average of 29.0 km/h, so it was still pretty decent considering the climbing.

Once on the Burke-Gilman Trail, I kept up a pace of 32-36 km/h, passing up even a few racer-types. The rain was coming down hard at this point, and without fenders on my bike (I'm an optimist) my ass was getting soaked. This was all the more motivation to get home quick! After a few miles on the Burke-Gilman Trail, I turned off towards Sand Point Way & The NOAA complex.

Then I rode through some nasty traffic in the U-Village area, past Husky Stadium, and back up Capitol Hill via 23rd Ave & Crescent Way. Starting the climb my average was at 29.3 km/h, but when I got to the top (300 feet higher) it was down to 28.2 km/h.

Start Time: 11:05 A.M.

End Time: 2:05 P.M.

Total Distance: 81 km (50 mi)

Rolling Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Average Speed: 28.2 km/h (17.5 mph)

Bicycle: Ciocc